Sunday, April 3, 2016

Heartstruck at Little Twin Stars x Dimsum Icon

Guest Post by Anna Ocampo-Alvarez, a friend who is a fellow foodie traveler.

First time to write a blog. Been invited by Coley’s Just
Saying for quite a while now but it’s only now that I’m taking the time to
write. So here’s my attempt and thank you for reading! J

I’ve been a Sanrio Little Twin Stars Fan for as long as I
can remember. Back when I was a kid, Sanrio stuff were hard to come by and were
expensive (all came from Japan). While most little girls went for Hello Kitty,
I was drawn to Kiki and Lala collectively known as Little Twin Stars. Kiki is
the boy with blue hair and Lala is the girl with pink hair. Their birthday is
on Dec 24, Christmas Eve. The other popular Sanrio characters then were My
Melody, Tuxedo Sam, Kerokerokeroppi, Patty & Jimmy and Zashikibuta

From childhood till now, I’ve been collecting anything
Little Twin Stars. I even used to have clogs, hankies, hairclips and pencils as
a kid. Now that I’m a mom of two, I still go for collectibles but I make sure
that they are useful. Suffice it to say that I’m still a hardcore Little Twin Stars fan after
all these years. Here’s part of my Kiki and Lala collection:

So imagine my excitement when I found out that there was a
Little Twin Stars x Dimsum Icon restaurant in Hong Kong. My heart skipped a
beat at the thought of dining at a Little Twin Stars-themed place. I am very
lucky that I have a supportive husband who went with me to accompany me as we
squeezed in this visit to the resto amidst our jampacked HK schedule. The resto
is located on D’Aguilar Street in Central, in the basement of the building that
houses Ippudo and Genki Sushi. It’s right across the Cotton On store in
Central. It’s quite impossible to miss as there’s a Kiki and Lala sign right
outside.

At
the reception you will be welcomed by a receptionist and huge Little Twin Stars
graphics. Since this is a Dimsum Icon x Little Twin Stars collab restaurant,
you will be asked if you want the Little Twin Stars Menu
or the regular Dimsum Icon menu. My choice was of course obvious.

Walking down the stairs to
the dining area, more Little Twin Stars visuals excited me.

This table setting was put together quickly as soon as we got seated. The tea pot and tea cup were absolutely kawaii!!! However the tea was not free. You can choose either Jasmine or Pu-Erh tea for HKD 20 a pot.

Now to the food. Since it was a quick pre-dinner trip (we had plans of eating at Ebeneezer’s right after), I just ordered 3 types of dimsum to share with my husband. There were dessert options to choose from but unfortunately the shawarma at Ebeneezer’s needed space in my tummy.

First to arrive was the steamed sea food roll (HKD 49) which we know here as cheongfan, which had an adorable Little Twin Stars Logo on it. Took me a few moments to will myself to take a bite into the logo. haha.

Then next the shrimp dumplings (hakaw) arrived. Another really cute and
lovingly preapared basket of dimsum! Look at the heart cutouts on the paper
lining underneath the dumplings. Taste wise, it was the usual shrimp dumpling flavor.
What I liked was that they did not scrimp on the filling. Whole pieces of
shrimps in each dumpling. HKD 59 per order.

Then for our last dimsum order, we got the steamed pork dumpling with a
big whole scallop on top (HKD 69). For me this was the best among the 3. The
dumplings were really tasty and the scallops on top were a real treat!

To round up my Little Twin Stars restaurant experience I decided to buy
some souvenirs to bring back home. They actually sell all the dinnerware
(teapots, tea cups, plates, bowls and saucers). I selected the teacups at HKD
140 per pair and a matching set of Kiki and Lala rubber coasters for 10 HKD
each to add to my growing collection.

Overall food verdict: this is HK so dimsum standards are high. The food I
ordered made the mark in terms of taste, but with the extra effort of putting
Little Twin Stars icons on the food, they all come out pricier. Nonetheless,
these were the cutest pieces of dimsum I’ve ever eaten. Not regretting the
premium I paid to try them.

Experience: Staff were attentive, but maybe because when we dined, there
were only a few tables occupied. Little Twin Stars feel was achieved only
through visuals and graphics, but the rest of the restaurant was in the Dimsum
Icon color scheme and design that was more industrial in feel. Just managing
expectations for those who want to visit.

Would recommend a trip if you’re a hardcore fan like me. Heartstruck
indeed I was. It was a lovely experience
to dine in a Little Twin Stars themed way so I did not mind paying a bit more. Plus this collab will probably be just
temporary so better come over while it’s still there. Too bad I wasn’t able to
sample the desserts. Maybe will try the Hello Kitty Cuisine in Kowloon next
time!

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About Me

I dream of writing a novel - so I blog. I dream of being a travel consultant - so I always jump at the chance to take roles which require me to travel for work. In addition to that, I work so I can travel. I dream of being a personal shopper - so I shop whenever I can. Now, I am branching into retail too. People can shop vicariously through me, and own some of my favorite travel finds through: Jewellery by Coley, and Wanderlust Sandals, Insipired by Places, To take you Places. I believe not just in following your dreams but living it!